Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams doesn't expect the political and cultural issues swirling around the WNBA to go away anytime soon.
Fresh off the Valkyries' first championship and winning the Finals MVP award, Williams spoke with CNBC's Alex Sherman about the league's place in those conversations. The WNBA has been at the forefront of several political and cultural issues this season, ranging from race to sexuality.
"I think as a female athlete, just our existence is political," Williams said. "Being a female athlete just automatically becomes politicized because we're in a space where maybe we weren't welcome before."
Williams said that she and many of her fellow athletes understand the fact that that playing professional basketball has brought them a larger platform.
"I think it's something that we embrace as athletes," Williams said, pointing to players' past involvement in political and social causes, including the 2020 Georgia Senate runoff and the Black Lives Matter movement. "I think that'll continue," she said.